HowGirlsCode Information

HowGirlsCode is a 501(c)(3) organization in central Maryland that aims to engage and educate elementary and middle school girls in computer science and coding. When girls are introduced to computer science early and given frequent opportunities to explore it in encouraging environments, they are more likely to reject societal messages that studying computer science or working in tech is for men and not women. Across all industries, computational thinking is becoming as important a skillset as numeracy and literacy. To prepare our children for the jobs of the future, we need computer science education both in and out of school. Despite making up half of our K-12 student population and nearly 60% of college enrollments, girls and women are far less likely than boys and men to study computing and earn degrees and careers in related fields. The founders of HowGirlsCode saw the statistics as an opportunity. Together, they used their shared passion for improving educational opportunities for girls to develop an after-school computer science class. HowGirlsCode provides 8-week long after-school courses and 1 week-long summer camps that connect girls to the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they'll need to thrive in the information economy. The weekly sessions included “unplugged” games, block programming activities, and a guest speaker series that gave the girls inspiration and information about the varied careers in which computer science plays a role.